


Humans Don't Poof

by FollowerofMercy



Series: Obsessed with SU and Writing to Deal with the Wait [3]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Enemies to Friends, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mortality, Steven has issues, martial arts as a coping mechanism, more on the hurt side, punch buddies, sorry - Freeform, venting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:08:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22169155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FollowerofMercy/pseuds/FollowerofMercy
Summary: A very short conversation between a friendlier Jasper and Steven regarding White Diamond’s actions.
Relationships: Jasper & Steven Universe
Series: Obsessed with SU and Writing to Deal with the Wait [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595188
Comments: 23
Kudos: 217





	Humans Don't Poof

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place some time after [my first SU fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22111099)

“Jasper, what does getting poofed feel like?”

Steven and Jasper lounged in the desert sun, away from any living thing. It had become a bit of a weekly routine for the two of them – go in the desert, punch each other, scream at the unfairness of the world. It was nice. Almost friendly, but with an indescribable amount of violence.

“If you accept it, nothing. You’re awake and then you’re not.” Jasper cracked her neck. “It hurts if you struggle against it, though. Some soldiers have cracked themselves trying to last longer.”

Steven draped his arms over his knees, sweat dripping down his temple. “Can you tell when time passes?”

“Not well. All you have is yourself in there. Your regeneration is your best clock.”

Steven nodded and pursed his lips. “…What did corruption feel like?”

“Bad.”

Steven waited for her to elaborate. She didn’t.

He returned his chin to his crossed arms, kicking a bit of sand around while his stomach churned. He considered asking whether she had shattered anyone, but decided he’d rather not know. Instead, he focused on the question he wanted to ask this whole time.

“…What do you think being shattered is like?”

Jasper shrugged, oblivious. “Probably terrible. The shards in the Cluster kept freaking out, right?”

Steven took a shuddering breath. “Yeah. So it probably feels like… you’re missing part of yourself.”

“Sure.” Jasper stretched, then paused when she caught sight of her rival. “…You ok?”

Steven had gone white, one hand on his stomach. “It probably feels like you’re going to die because all the best parts of yourself got ripped out.”

“Uh.”

He relaxed until he lay on his back in the sand, staring past the clouds. “It probably feels like your mind is fine but your body is so… small. So weak, so you can’t do anything but sit and watch yourself fade.”

“…Do you need to talk about something?”

Steven chuckled. She wasn’t sure if he even heard her.

“She was going to kill me,” he said, voice void of emotion.

Jasper shifted, unsure whether she was at fault this time.

“She pulled my gem out.” He turned to face her, smiling with his mouth, pleading with his eyes.

Jasper frowned, unsure why the image disturbed her so. It was smart to go for the gem. She had had her own gem yanked from her face in training many, many times. “And you didn’t poof?”

“Humans don’t poof. We just die.” He turned back to the sky. “Slowly.”

She had no idea how to respond, so she didn’t.

The silence stretched between them, as vast as the empty desert and the empty sky.

“You know, I’m not actually sure if I was dying,” Steven muttered. “Maybe that’s what normal humans feel like all the time. Maybe I’m just so used to being a gem that missing it _feels_ like dying.”

Jasper tentatively sat down cross-legged next to him. He continued to stare at nothing.

“Do you think about this a lot?” she asked.

Steven shrugged, leaving a little furrow in the sand. “Connie carried my dying half back to my gem. I never asked her if she was ok after that.”

“You were the one that got ripped in half.”

Steven finally looked at her, one eyebrow raised. “So? I’m fine now, aren’t I?” He patted his gem. “Back in one piece.”

Jasper watched him as he returned to his back, his chest rising and falling in short bursts. “Why’d you bring this up?”

The question seemed to snap him out of his own head. He blinked. “I dunno. I figured I should probably talk about it, especially since I see White Diamond fairly regularly. I never mentioned it to anyone.”

Steven sat up and kicked his feet, scattering sand. “So… thanks for listening, I guess.”

“Anytime.” Jasper didn’t think the boy was satisfied, but she didn’t know what to do or say. Instead, she defaulted to something she did know. “Wanna punch stuff?”

“Please.”


End file.
